If you can figure out this year's edition of the
Philadelphia Eagles then you are a better man than I. Eerily similar to the team's play is the most
recent mercurial performances of slated starting quarterback Nick Foles. It was only three weeks ago that he had a
dreadful start against the Dallas Cowboys, connecting on only 11-of-29 passing
for a meager 80 yards. He would leave in
the third quarter with a concussion only to be relieved by an even more dismal
display by the backup's backup Matt Barkley which culminated in a 17-3 drubbing
by the Cowboys.

Foles sat out the following week in which the Eagles were
once again held in check by an opponent, this time it was their NFC East
rivals, the New York Giants. On this
occasion Matt Barkley shared duties with Michael Vick and the results were
equally as underwhelming. When the final
whistle blew, the Eagles had failed to win and cover the spread in NFL odds for
the second consecutive game, both as home chalk.

But Foles was back in the saddle against the Raiders last
week and he rebounded with a vengeance. The 6'6" second-year man out of Arizona put on a laser show and
scorched the Oakland secondary for seven TD strikes and racked up 406 yards in
passing yards. Philly walked out of
Oakland with a 49-20 victory and big time momentum coming into this one in
Green Bay.

Green Bay Packers
(5-3 SU, 4-3-1 ATS)

When Aaron Rodgers went down in Monday night's game against
the Bears, not only was his collarbone shattered but perhaps too were any
postseason aspirations for the Packers. Is that being a bit dramatic for a team tied for first in their
division? Well, it depends on just how
much you think one man means to a team. The oddsmakers seem to think that one man means about nine points as
this line plummeted from Green Bay as a 10 point favorite to a
virtual NFL pick as of this writing.

Seneca Wallace will do the honors in place of Aaron Rodgers
and if the journeyman looks as bewildered as he did last week when he was
unexpectedly foisted into the heat of battle then this could be a very long day
for the Packers as well as a disappointing one for their fans. However, the Packers do one thing very well
(besides having Aaron Rodgers light up the scoreboard) and that is their
ability to run the ball.

Former Alabama star Eddie Lacy has delivered mightily for
the Packers since returning from a concussion in Week 5. Since then he has the most rushing yards in
the NFL with 545 and last week in a losing cause against the Bears, 97 of
Lacy's 150 yards came after contact which is the most for a running back this
season. Expect the Packers to ground and
pound their way on Sunday using Eddie Lacy as their sledgehammer.

The Free Pick

It's just too easy to reflect upon last week and contrast
Nick Foles historic performance against the backdrop of a writhing Aaron
Rodgers replaced in a losing effort by a journeyman quarterback whose only
claim to fame in his 10 years in the league is that his name reminds many of
instant coffee.

But does that mean that all the other good players
disappeared on the Packers roster along with Rodgers? Of course not but it sure as hell makes them
a whole lot less effective. Even Eddie
Lacy will feel the absence of Green Bay's field marshal when the Eagles defense
can scheme more fully on the run game without worrying about Air Rodgers
torching them deep.